Joe Christmas genuinely cannot tell whether he is black or white. His problem is symbolic on two levels. Firstly, Joe's dilemma and tragedy are used by William Faulkner as a powerful indictment of racism. Secondly, it works as a study of the divided self and, in the author's eyes, the 20th century man. Light in August is an insightful and foreboding work that stands the test of time in its portrayal of some of the most basic human flaws. | Light In August by William Faulkner, Paperback | Indigo Chapters